


The Good Old Days

by WandaLannister



Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - All Media Types
Genre: Best Friends, Childhood Friends, F/M, Friendship, Hydra (Marvel), Love, Original Character(s), Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Time Skips, Unrequited Love, World War II, reader is a nerd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 14:59:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7980781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WandaLannister/pseuds/WandaLannister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reader is best friends with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. This is the story of three friends in a time of war...and beyond.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Bookworm

"Hey, Mrs. Rogers! How are you feeling today?" I asked, clutching a fruit basket in hand, walking over to her bed in the TB ward. "Here, these are for you..." 

 

"Oh, you're such a _sweetheart,_ Y/N. I'm okay, darling," she said, between coughs. I handed the basket over to Steve, who was sitting by her side. 

 

I watched Steve struggle with the weight of the basket, his _skinny_ arms unable to hold the weight of it. "Here, I'll do it," I helped him place the basket on the bedside table. 

 

"Th-Thanks, Y/N," Steve said, turning to look at me. 

 

I smiled. "No problem, Stevie." 

 

Steve Rogers and I had been best friends since childhood, when we had met in the kindergarten playground. His mother, Mrs. Sarah Rogers, called us "The Three Musketeers" affectionately. Speaking of which, our third musketeer was nowhere to be seen. 

 

"Where's Buck, Steve?" I asked, pulling out an apple from the basket, starting to cut it up in a plate for Mrs. Rogers. 

 

Steve looked up from his sketchbook where he had been doodling. "Uh, I don't know, Y/N." 

 

I rolled my eyes. As far as I knew _our_ Bucky, he was chatting up a cute nurse he had spotted in the ward...

 

"How are your studies coming along, darling?" Mrs. Rogers asked me, accepting the plate of apples that I had cut up for her. 

 

"Oh, they're going well, Mrs. Rogers. I just finished up with my exams and I've enrolled for an internship," I told her. 

 

"An internship? Where?" Steve asked me. 

 

"Uh, Stark Enterprises. Their biological sciences division," I replied. 

 

"Well, that's very good news, Y/N. I'm so happy to see that a clever girl like you is doing do well for herself," Mrs. Rogers said, patting my hand, smiling fondly. 

 

I looked down, slightly embarrassed. "Th-Thank you, Mrs. Rogers." 

 

"I'm really happy for you too, Y/N. I'm sure you'll get accepted," Steve said, smiling at me. 

 

"Thanks, Stevie..." 

 

"Get accepted where?" came a very familiar voice behind me. 

 

I turned around to see Bucky Barnes, the aforementioned third musketeer, walking into the ward. He was wearing a blue button up shirt and trousers. I didn't fail to notice the _swagger_ in his step as he walked. 

 

"Y/N has applied for an internship at Stark Enterprises an-" Steve began, but I interrupted him with a glare. 

 

"So, I guess someone has scored a date with a nurse. Am I right?" I asked, looking at Bucky. 

 

He grinned at me. "You know me _so well,_ doll!" 

 

I rolled my eyes. How _typical._  

 

"Her name's Dot. And she's quite the looker..." Bucky said, pretending to fan himself. 

 

"Yeah, I'm _sure_ she is," I mumbled.  

 

"We have a date tonight. Why don't you and Stevie come along, Y/N?" 

 

I hastily made up an excuse. "I can't, Buck... I have to study for my exams." 

 

Steve looked at me, his bright blue eyes seeing right through my lie. But Bucky didn't look too concerned. "You and Dot go and have fun, Buck, I just have _to...sketch,"_ Steve said, giving me a look. 

 

 _"Jesus,_ what kind of friends are you, bailing out on me like that?" Bucky said, feigning shock. 

 

"Yeah, _yeah,_ champ. You'll get over it," I said, rolling my eyes at his antics. He chuckled.

 

"Okay, guys, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" Bucky said, before walking out the door, humming to himself, leaving an awkward silence in his wake. 

 

"When are you going to tell him?" Steve asked me quietly, looking intently at me. 

 

"Tell him what, Steve," I asked trying to pretend that nothing had happened. He continued to look at me, his blue eyes unwavering. 

 

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, sheepishly. 

 

 _"Yeah,_ Y/N. And Bucky is an idiot for not seeing it. I mean, you're such an _amazing_ girl!" Steve exclaimed, before turning bright red in the face, looking down as if he had spoken too much. 

 

"He'll come around, sweetie," Mrs. Rogers said, patting my hand reassuringly. 

 

I nodded, knowing in my heart that Bucky was never going to come around. He always fell for the pretty girls, _you know,_ the ones who just loved to party and dance and have a good time. He'd never fall for me... I was the bookworm who kept her nose buried in books. 

 

I was just happy to love Bucky from afar. Watching him date one girl after another _hurt,_ it really did. And I made up for it by immersing myself in my work. I never had any hopes for a chance with him... 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Dot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader celebrates her internship.

"I've been accepted! I've been _accepted,_ Stevie!" I shrieked excitedly, bursting into Steve's room. 

 

He was sketching in his book, as usual, looking up at the sound of my voice. "You got the internship?" he asked, his blue eyes going wide. 

 

 _"YES!"_ I cried, triumphantly, holding out my acceptance letter for him to read. 

 

"Dear Miss Y/F/N, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted for the internship program at Stark Enterprises... Oh, Y/N, I'm so _proud_ of you!" 

 

I ran over to him and pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, Stevie. You're the first one I've told this to..." 

 

"Wait, what do you mean?" he said, pulling away from me. "You didn't tell Buck?" 

 

I shook my head. 

 

"No, I didn't have the chance. I called up his house and they said he was out...with Dot, most probably, _so..."_ I trailed off, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice. 

 

"Y/N..." Steve began, ever ready to console me. 

 

"Never mind, Steve," I said, pulling myself together and grinning at him. "It doesn't matter... But what _does_ matter is that I'm buying you a milkshake! My treat!" 

 

He smiled, uncertainly. "Y/N, are you sure?" 

 

 _"Of course,_ Stevie boy! Grab your coat! We're going out!" 

 

"Alright," he said, his face breaking into a full on smile. 

 

It was late afternoon and the sun was hiding behind the clouds, when we set off, walking together to the diner. 

 

Settling ourselves into a booth by the window, we both ordered milkshakes. Chocolate for him and strawberry for me. 

 

"What am I going to do without you, Y/N?" Steve sighed, slumping back in his seat. "I mean...you'll be busy with all the science stuff... Who will I talk to?" 

 

 _"Stevie..._ I'll write you. Everyday! _Promise,_ okay?" I said, reaching out and grabbing his hand. "And you still have Bucky, right?" 

 

Steve smiled ruefully. "Y/N, Bucky is planning on enlisting in the army. He's bound to be selected. And otherwise too, I don't see much of him. He's out with his..." 

 

 _"Girls,_ yeah..." I said. 

 

"So you _know_ what I'm saying right? You're going for the internship, Bucky is joining the army. Both my best friends are leaving..." he sighed. 

 

I looked at him, feeling upset at how _sad_ he looked. 

Just then, the waitress brought our milkshakes over.

 

Steve must've noticed that I was upset. "Hey, hey, Y/N, I'm being such a spoilsport here. Its _your_ big day! We should be celebrating!" he said, raising his milkshake glass in the air, like he was making a toast. 

 

I chuckled at his antics. "Stevie... I want you to know this, okay? I'm _never_ going to leave you alone. I'll _always_ be here for you... Cross my heart and hope to die," I promised. "Now, make a toast!" I said, raising my glass. 

 

He grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. "To your bright future!" 

 

"To _our_ bright future," I smiled, clinking our glasses. 

 

We sat sipping our drinks, chatting about Steve's mother's health and my internship. Then suddenly an odd look appeared on Steve's face as he looked out the window. 

 

"Steve, what happened?" I asked, following his gaze. 

 

"Its Bucky..." he whispered, pointing at a couple who were walking towards the diner, hand in hand. 

 

"And...Dot?" I asked, observing the beautiful, tall, blonde girl walking with him, dressed in a white blouse and a maroon skirt. 

 

Steve nodded. 

 

Half of me wanted to run away right then and there, not wanting to meet Bucky and his new girlfriend. On the other hand, I was busy observing Dot... She was tall and willowy. She walked with an easy grace... Was she a dancer perhaps? I mean, I was tall _too,_ but I was skinny and a little clumsy. She was also curvy in the right places, if you know what I mean... I pushed my glasses up my nose, watching her whisper something in Bucky's ear, which made him laugh. 

 

It sent a pang of jealousy searing through my heart. Bucky himself was looking _very_ handsome, dressed in a button down shirt and black trousers, his dark brown hair windblown. God, I _really_ wanted to run away now... But it was too late, Bucky had spotted us through the diner window. 

 

"Hey, you guys! What are you doing here?" Bucky asked, walking in, hand in hand with his girlfriend. 

 

"I could ask you the same, Buck," I asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

"Yeah, well, I had my enlistment interview this morning and I've been selected!" he said, flashing us his trademark grin. 

 

"Wow! _Congratulations!"_ Steve exclaimed, hugging him. 

 

I stayed frozen in my place, eyeing Bucky's new girl. 

Bucky obviously noticed this. "Oh, so sorry, I forgot to introduce you guys... Y/N and Steve, this is Dot. Dot, this is Y/N and Steve!" 

 

"Its a pleasure to meet you," Steve said, always the picture of politeness. 

 

"Yeah, _real_ pleasure..." I said, sarcastically. 

 

Bucky's eyes widened at my tone, but he chose to ignore it. "So what are you guys doing here?" he asked, the question directed more towards Steve than me. 

 

"Uh, we're here to celebrate..." Steve began, but Dot interrupted him. 

 

"Bucky! Tell them about the Expo!" she shrieked, her voice high pitched and annoyingly girly. 

 

"Oh yeah!" Bucky exclaimed. "Guys, I've gotten us tickets to the Stark Expo this weekend. You coming?" 

 

 _"Speaking_ of Stark..." Steve began to speak again, but I cut him off with an imperceptible nudge. 

 

"We'd _love_ to come along, Buck," I said. 

 

"Great! Now if you'll excuse us, Dolores needs a drink," Bucky said, signalling the waitress as he walked away with Dot to sit down in a booth in the corner. 

 

When he was out of earshot, Steve asked me, "Why didn't you _tell_ him, Y/N?" 

 

I sighed. "It doesn't matter, Stevie," I said, watching as Bucky and Dot began to kiss. 

 

"Come on, lets go," I said, blinking back tears as I grabbed my coat. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on this chapter?


	3. Howard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader begins her internship at Stark Industries.

I clutched my coat tighter as I walked through the chilly morning air. I was headed to the offices of Stark Industries, as it was the very _first_ day of my internship program. 

 

To say that I was nervous was definitely an understatement. I was absolutely petrified, but also excited... I was _finally_ beginning my first job! 

I walked into the recruitment office of the main building of Stark Industries, where I saw an old woman sitting at the reception desk. 

 

"Uh, good morning," I greeted her. "I'm here for the internship program..." 

 

The woman looked up at with a warm smile. "Good morning, dear. Can you tell me your name, please?" 

 

"Its Y/F/N," I replied. 

 

The lady looked down at a file she had in her hand, skimming through a list. "Ah! Here it is! Y/F/N, of course! You will be working with Howard Stark in his newest project." 

 

I was shocked. "Uh, _Howard Stark? The_ Howard Stark?" 

 

She smiled at me, amused. "Yes, dear, the very same. In fact, he looked at your application form and _specifically_ requested for you!" 

 

If I was shocked earlier, I was positively _stunned_ at this new revelation. 

 

"He requested for _me?"_ I repeated. 

 

"Yes, dear. In fact, he asked me to send you straight to his office the moment you arrived," the lady said, standing up. "Come, follow me..." 

 

Struck mute, I followed the receptionist as she led me through the hallways. We stopped outside an office door which was marked as 'Howard Stark, Founder.' 

 

"Just knock, dear. Good luck!" she said, before leaving. 

 

Taking deep, steadying breaths, I raised my hand and knocked hesitantly on the door. 

 

"Come in," came a male voice from within. I opened the door and stepped in. 

 

Sitting behind a massive desk was the man himself. Mr. Howard Stark. Inventor, engineer, businessman and the founder of Stark Industries. 

 

I mean... I had seen photographs of him in the newspapers, but he looked quite _young_ in person. 

 

I cleared my throat and began nervously. "Good morning, Mr. Stark. I'm Y/F/N. I'm here for the-" 

 

"The internship program, yes. Sit down, please. Sit down," he said, smiling warmly at me. I sat down in the nearest chair in front of his desk. 

 

"I've read your file, Y/F/N. You have an impressive academic record... We could use a brilliant young mind like you around here, especially on my latest project," he said, winking at me. 

 

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," I said, feeling the color rise in my cheeks. 

 

 _"Please,_ call me Howard," he said. "Now, you will be assisting me on Project Rebirth, Y/N." 

 

_Hmmm. Project Rebirth. Sounded interesting._

 

He reached out under his desk and pulled out a file. "You will need to do some background reading before we get started. And this is a project where we are working in conjunction with the military, so it goes without saying that this information is _classified."_  

 

"Yes, sir...uh, Howard. Understood." 

 

"Good," he said, handing me the file. "Read it up here and don't speak a word about it in public. The United States Government is involved here too. Basically, we are looking for candidates who will become the first in a new breed of Super Soldiers, who will be deployed in the war against the Axis Powers." 

 

"So...you're talking about biological enhancement?" I asked, uncertainly. 

 

"Yes, _exactly._ These soldiers are going to win the war for us, Y/N. Now, I want you to meet Doctor Abraham Erskine, the creator of the serum that will be responsible for the creation of these soldiers," he said, getting up. "Come with me." 

 

I was absolutely _thrilled_ at the prospect of being a part of such an innovative project. And the _honor_ of working with a brilliant man like Howard Stark! 

 

As I followed Howard through the corridor, I couldn't control my curiosity. "Howard, may I ask you something...?" 

 

"Of course ," he replied, smiling. 

 

"What will you be presenting at the Expo this weekend?"  I asked. 

 

He chuckled. "Now _that,_ Y/N, is a secret." 

 

 

 


	4. Doesn't Matter

_"Stevie,"_ I sighed. "Its _illegal_ to lie on your enlistment form. You know that, right?" 

 

He shrugged. "I had to try, Y/N, I mean, come on! There are men laying down their lives and I'm sitting at home like a..." 

 

"Like a what, Steve?" I asked. 

 

He sighed. "You know what? Forget it. I don't have a shot in hell anyway. But it isn't going to stop me from trying..." he said, determined as ever. 

 

"Where did you enlist from, this time?" I asked, taking the form out of his hands and reading it. _"Really,_ Steve? _Paramus?"_ I chuckled. 

 

He laughed too. "Yeah, yeah, I _know..."_  

 

I ruffled his hair fondly. 

 

"How's the internship going?" he asked. 

 

"Oh, its good. Yeah. They've assigned me to work with Howard Stark, that's _all_ I can tell you. All classified stuff..." I said, shrugging out of my coat and sitting down on a couch in Steve's living room. 

 

"Wait, _Howard Stark?_ Really? You've _met_ the guy?" Steve asked, sounding mightily impressed. 

 

"Yep. Met him on my first day there. He's _really_ nice and-" 

 

Steve wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me. 

 

 _"Steve!_ I didn't mean it like _that!_ Honestly! He's my boss. And I know that he has a sort of a _reputation,_ but he's really nice. And brilliant too..." I said, trailing off, too tired to continue. 

I'd been working at Stark Industries since 7 am this morning, non stop. I was finally free to go home at 6 in the evening, and I decided to stop by at Steve's on the way. 

 

"You look tired," Steve said, worriedly. 

 

"I'm fine, Stevie," I sighed, slumping back on the couch. "Interns everywhere are made to work like dogs. But I swear, this is like...my _big break,_ you know?" 

 

He nodded. "Do you want some coffee or something?" he asked. 

 

I gasped, feigning shock. _"Steve,_ do they let you _drink_ that stuff around here? What about the effect of caffeine on your little heart? " I asked, dramatically. 

 

He threw a pillow at me, muttering _"idiot"._ I called him a " _jerk",_ before bursting into giggles and asking him to add a spoonful of sugar in my coffee. 

 

Just as Steve was about to head to the kitchen to make the coffee, we heard a knock on the door. 

"Steve? You home, pal?" came Bucky's voice. 

 

"Yeah, I'm here," Steve said, opening the door. "Come on in!" 

 

"Hi, Steve, how are you, man! And Y/N, _there_ you are! I've been looking for you everywhere! I went by your house and didn't find you there..." Bucky said. 

 

"Yeah, I just got back," I replied, _curtly._  

 

Bucky's eyes widened at my tone. "From _where?"_  

 

Steve, as usual, sensed the tension between us and decided to speak up. _"Actually,_ Y/N has been accepted at the internship program at Stark Industries. She's assigned to work with Howard Stark himself! Isn't that _amazing,_ Buck?" he asked, injecting forced cheerfulness into his voice to dissolve the growing tension. 

 

"Yeah, its amazing..." Bucky said, in a tone that suggested otherwise. "Why didn't you _tell_ me before, Y/N?" 

 

 _"Oh boy..."_ Steve muttered. 

 

"Maybe if you'd found a moment to tear your eyes away from Dolores, I could have told you about it..." I said, in a cold voice. 

 

Bucky looked affronted. "What has she got to do with this?" he asked. 

 

I sighed. "You'll _never_ understand, James. There's no point going there..." 

 

I stood up, grabbing my coat and making my way to the door. "I'll see you later, Steve." 

 

Just then, Bucky caught my arm and spun me around to face him. "Y/N, what _is_ this? What's gotten _into_ you, huh?" 

 

I wrenched my arm out of his grip, blinking back tears and trying to get the vision of Bucky kissing Dot in that diner out of my head. I'd had enough, being the silent spectator, watching Bucky fall in love with one girl after another over the years, while keeping my own feelings bottled up. I was _sick_ of it. _So_ sick of it...

 

"Forget it, Bucky. It doesn't matter..." I said, walking out the door, choking down a sob. 

 

 


End file.
